Running Out of Time
by PhantomPhoenix4
Summary: After finding Danny mortally wounded, Jazz must go to desperate measures to save him.


**Just a one-shot I wrote between my bigger stories. Enjoy! ^-^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Danny Phantom**

KABOOM! Jazz rolled her eyes as the whole foundation of the house shook from the explosion of yet another Fenton Masterpiece. The red head could already hear the excited shouts from her ecstatic Dad; apparently the explosion was a sign of success… for once. Sighing Jazz turned her rolly chair back around and returned to her project… helping Danny reveal his secret to their parents.

For the last few weeks Jazz had been helping Danny think of possible ways to tell their ghost loathing parents that he was one. It all started about two weeks ago when Danny had to practically crawl home after an exhausting battle with the self-proclaimed "greatest" hunter, Ghost X. When he got home Jazz convinced her stubborn brother that he needed to tell their parents about his powers before they or one of his rivals seriously hurt him.

"I mean, I know I let him tell ME when he was ready, but our parents are dangerous! They hunt him and they constantly shove unstable ghost weapons in his face. He needs tell them before things get even more out of control," thought Jazz as she continued jotting down ideas on a notepad.

"Let's see…" she pondered out loud, "Befriend them as Phantom?... Nope. They'd shot first and ask questions never… Just come out and say it? Ha! That probably wouldn't end well… Leave hints until they discover it on their own? Yeah right, like it isn't as plain as day already. I think they'd figure it out eventually but we're running out of time!" She continued to jot down ideas, but each one was flawed one way or another, "This is hopeless!" Shouted a very frustrated Jazz as she threw her very scribbled notebook over her head. A very weak "ow" quickly followed. Jazz spun her chair around. There in the corner of her room was Danny, in ghost form crumpled on the floor, bleeding.

"Danny!" shouted Jazz as she practically flew off her chair, "Wh-What happened?"

"Ghost" Danny simply said as Jazz looked him over. His usually pure white hair was now slimy green and his jump suit was all but rags. She gently lifted up part of the remaining jump suit and saw the huge cut that seemed to reach from his rips to his thigh but with all the blood it was hard to tell.

"This is bad, Danny…Danny?" Suddenly there was a bright flash of light, "Danny!" shouted Jazz as red liquid grossly mixed with the neon green. In a complete panic instinct took over "MOM!"

Jazz willed her legs to move, stumbling to the door, not bothering to stand up all the way. Her slippery fingers met the door's brass handle in microseconds. She flung the sound barrier open with a bang. "HELP!" she screamed. Jazz continued to run out of her room, skidding on the rug before slamming her body into the railing, "HELP!" she screamed again her voice shaky and panicked. There was a clatter, then two sets of feet pounding up the basement stairs.

"What is it?" shouted Maddie as she ran to the bottom of the stairs Jack right on her heels.

"Danny" Jazz said with tears in her eyes before sprinting back to her room. Maddie and Jack looked at each other then ran up the stairs; two at a time.

"Danny?" Jack burst into the room to see Jazz at Danny's side and gently tried to shake him awake. "DANNY!" shouted Maddie and Jack as they both dove to his side. Maddie cradled Danny, speechless from shock; she tried to take in his wounds, blood, and… was that ectoplasm?

Finding her voice she turned to Jazz, "What happen?"

"I-I don't- know, "she said between sobs as she buried her face into her father's orange jumpsuit. He put a shaky hand over his daughters shoulder and looked at his son.

"JACK!" shouted Maddie getting his attention, "Call 911!" Jack quickly started to get up when suddenly something shot forward and grabbed his wrist.

"DANNY!" they all shouted.

"No- doctor," Danny said weakly not letting go of his father.

"Danny, you're hurt, let him go so we can help you," said Maddie as calmly as she could. Meanwhile Jack was trying his hardest to loosen Danny's grip.

"No" Danny said firmly.

"Danny, I know you can't go to the hospital," said Jazz scooting closer to her brother, ignoring her parent's yells of protest, "But at least change, it will heal you quicker."

"NO!" shouted Danny fearfully, stiffing up, but his sudden shift in movement caused a new wave of blood to gush out. He passed out.

"DANNY!" screamed Maddie as Jack quickly used his free hand to put pressure to Danny's wound. Jazz thought quickly, "I have to do something, anything! Ghost or not, Danny's gonna drain out. SHIT!"

Jazz quickly turned around and burst out of the room then practically fell down the stairs, before flying through the kitchen, and stumbling down a second set of steps. Finally she reached the family's basement turned lab. After a quick and frantic search she found the item she was looking for and retraced her steps back to her room. Upon her return she discovered her parents both pushing down on Danny's wound. Both too occupied with caring for their son to call 911.

"Jazz did you call an ambulance?" asked Maddie. Without replying Jazz quickly rushed to her brother -falling on her knees- and grabbed his arm.

"I'm sorry, Danny," she whispered before lifting up the sharp, neon green filled, needle and stabbing Danny. A scream of sheer pain immediately filled the air before abruptly ending.

"DANNY!" shouted Maddie before quickly turning on her daughter, "What did you do?"

"Please understand," Jazz pleaded not taking her eyes off Danny.

"Understand! Understand what? What the hell happened? And why'd you stab him with D-Stabilizer?" asked Jack in complete confusion.

"Because it will help," Jazz said simply. "Please work, Please!" she silently added. Danny slowly started to stir and then he weakly moaned.

"Ugh…what happened?" he asked weakly his eyes flickering open.

"Oh my god! Danny! Are you okay?" They all asked.

"I'm home?"

"Yeah… you don't remember?" asked Jack as Maddie gently swept his dark hair from his eyes.

"Guess not," Danny answered weakly sitting up, "Man, what a beating," he added tenderly touching his side. Then he realized who he was talking to. "Mom! Dad!" he looked to his sister. She gave him a sheepish smile. "Um…uh… I can explain!" he stuttered but they weren't listening. He looked at them, Maddie gasped.

"Son, what happened to your eyes?" asked Jack.

"What?" he asked then turned to Jazz noticing the empty needle in her hand. "Oh crud!" he whispered before covering his electric green eyes with his hands, but a hand reached out and stopped him. He tightly shut his eyes.

"Daniel Fenton! Open your eyes and explain yourself!" said Maddie firmly. Too tired and weak to argue he slowly opened them.

"Suffering Spooks!" exclaimed Jack as Danny's glowing green eyes were fully revealed.

"It's a side effect… of the D-Stabilizer," Danny explained. Suddenly Maddie leaded forward, pushed Jack's hands away, and pulled up Danny's blood covered shirt. The wound was no longer bleeding red but bright green, but it was exceeding less and the cut looked smaller.

"It's healing you!" exclaimed Maddie.

"But his blood, its green?" added Jack still confused.

"What the heck is going on here!" they both asked turning to their two children.

"I can ex…ex…"Suddenly Danny fell limp.

"Danny!" they shouted again. Maddie looked down at the wound it was now bleeding normal human red and the flow had once again increased. She quickly placed her hand over the wound. "We need to call the hospital!"

"No!" shouted Jazz.

"Will we gotta do something!" said Jack as he too replaced his hands on his son's wound.

"I don't know! The D-Stabilizer's never failed before!"  
"We're running out of time!" said Maddie.

"Time," whispered Jazz then exclaimed, "Clockwork! He'd be able to help!"

"Who the hell is Lokwark?" asked Jack.

"I am time," came a mysterious voice that seemed to come from everywhere. Jazz jumped and her parents immediately switched to battle mode, or as best they could without abandoning their son. Suddenly a blue child appeared inches from Jazz's face, she screamed and jumped back.

"I am here to help," said the blue child as he quickly aged.

"Freeze Spook!" said Jack as he jumped between Clockwork and Jazz holding an ecto-gun.

"No, it is you who shall freeze," said Clockwork as he calmly froze time with the click of a button. He then quickly floated over to Jazz and placed a time medallion over her neck.

"No, Dad! Wait!" she shouted.

"It's alright, child," said the now old man ghost reassuringly. Jazz looked around taking in the ecto-blast paused midair, the frozen expressions of her parent's faces, and the frozen form of her brother, the bleeding momentarily stopped.

"It is you!" said Jazz in disbelief.

"Yes, child, I am Clockwork," he said.

"But how did you know that we needed you?"

"Because I know everything," said Clockwork but without the pride that usually filled his catchphrase. He looked at Danny and sighed. Jazz followed his glaze and felt tears creeping their way back.

"Can you help?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes and No," said Clockwork, "I can only give you advice. I am breaking the rules as it is." Jazz looked disheartened.

"I am deeply sorry," he continued as he gently balanced a glove hand on her shoulder.

"What must I do?" asked Jazz.

"The solution to healing young Daniel is simple but it will take a lot to accomplish." Jazz looked slightly confused and afraid as Clockwork proceeded, "You must make him change." Jazz's confusion suddenly lifted but her fear increased.

"Well, that help?" asked Jazz almost doubtfully.

"It is the only thing standing between Daniel and death," said Clockwork.

Jazz gasped then whispered "No"

"I am sorry child," said Clockwork sincerely, "But if Daniel should faint one more time he will not awaken. That is unless you can convince him to change and thus fully activating his healing powers." Jazz was silent for a moment as she let it all stink in. "Can I do this?" she thought. Then with an intake of breath she looked up at the time wizard with a determined look.

Clockwork gave a brief smile. "Good Luck, my child."

"BOOM" the ecto-blast hit the wall creating a gaping hole. Jazz blinked.

"What happened to the ghost?" said Jack turning to Maddie.

"Never mind that," said Jazz as she kneeled back down to Danny. "Danny?" she continued as she gently shook his shoulder. Maddie raised a bloody hand to stop her when a soft moan drifted up from her son.

"Son?" asked Jack as he rejoined in helping Maddie add pressure. Another moan escaped Danny lips as his baby-blue eyes flickered open. Jazz didn't waste any time.

"Danny, you must change! Now!" she said firmly. Danny's eyes flew completely open. He looked at her in disbelief.

"Please, Danny! It will heal you and you know it!" she said grabbing his hand reassuringly. Maddie and Jack looked between their two children completely confused.

"I-I know, but mom and dad?" he said weakly.

"We were gonna tell them anyway," she almost whispered. Danny looked at his parents but blinked as his vision flickered. He slowly looked back at Jazz, he saw the complete fear displayed plainly on her face but his vision once again faded briefly.

"Ok, Jazz," he said softly then closed his eyes tightly reaching deep inside himself for the distant cold spot. He stretched his conscious but couldn't hold it. He let go opening his eyes.

"I can't do it," he said exhausted. Jazz began to panic.

"Yes you can, Danny! You have to!" she cried.

"You just hold on, son," said Jack sadly.

"We're here for you," added Maddie as she touched his face. Danny looked at the loved ones he had almost lost that we're now trying their hardest to save him. He smiled.

"Ok, I'll try again." He closed his eyes.

Jazz held her breathe. "You can do it, Danny."

Suddenly, a bright blue flash filled the room.


End file.
